Thursday 18 September 2014

BARBICAN

The Barbican estate is my second favourite building (if you can call it a building? A gaggle of buildings? What's the plural?) in London, after Battersea Power Station. It's a stunning example of brutalist architecture, it dwarfs and completey consumes you. It was built in the 1960's, on a bomb site from WW2. It's ambition and vision were groundbreaking. Architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon spent YEARS planning, developing and re planning etc. The City asked the architects to design the site in the early fifties and work didn't start until almost ten years later, completing the works in 1975, (TWENTY YEARS from start to finish!) with the arts centre following in 1982.

Paul took us to see John Cale here last Fri day for our six year anniverary (when did that happen!?) and I spent a good twenty minutes happily being lost in the maze that is the Barbican, before finding the theatre. I never learn. I have an awful sense of direction. But I guess there are much worse places to be lost.

One day we will own a flat here!


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